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| re: A few FOLLIES thoughts | |
| Posted by: showtunetrivia 02:28 pm EDT 04/10/21 | |
| In reply to: re: A few FOLLIES thoughts - IvyLeagueDropout 11:28 am EDT 04/10/21 | |
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| In the latest biography of Stritch (I’M STILL HERE by Alexandra Jacobs, 2018), she says Stritch was indeed offered “I’m Still Here” first, but she turned it down, saying you had to “be Yvonne de Carlo or eighty.” She was in a panic state during the performance, according to Mandy Patinkin, and everyone, including Paul Gemignani, was startled when she began singing as though the words were coming out one at at time. “That was not the tempo we used in rehearsals,” he said, and adapted the orchestra to her pacing. I’m paraphrasing; the book is upstairs and my foot hurts. I’ll post a citation later. Laura |
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| Stritch in rehearsal | |
| Posted by: AlanScott 07:03 pm EDT 04/10/21 | |
| In reply to: re: A few FOLLIES thoughts - showtunetrivia 02:28 pm EDT 04/10/21 | |
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| That is indeed what Gemignani is quoted saying. At the link, there is an excerpt from the Follies in Concert documentary showing us Stritch in rehearsal. A bit further is the the beginning of "Broadway Baby" at the opening-night performance. She certainly is not doing it quickly in the rehearsal clip, although admittedly she is simply trying to get the notes. Still, I would bet that she never did it in rehearsal faster than the basic tempo we hear there. If she went perhaps a bit slower still in performance, given the audience response, how could she not? |
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| Link | Stritch in rehearsal and performance |
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| re: Stritch in rehearsal | |
| Posted by: pecansforall 09:12 pm EDT 04/10/21 | |
| In reply to: Stritch in rehearsal - AlanScott 07:03 pm EDT 04/10/21 | |
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| Look at this clip of Stritch ending "Broadway Baby". Is that Sondheim in the background doing a facepalm or someone else? | |
| Link | Broadway Baby |
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| re: Stritch in rehearsal | |
| Posted by: AlanScott 10:14 pm EDT 04/10/21 | |
| In reply to: re: Stritch in rehearsal - pecansforall 09:12 pm EDT 04/10/21 | |
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| LOL. I had watched that but didn't take note of Sondheim back there. I'm not sure he was thinking, "Oh, God! Is she going to do it that way?" but perhaps he was. I suppose he might also be hating that ending, which I think was put in because there was no way those people were going to learn the counterpoint ending in the little rehearsal time they had. Oddly, on the second night, it was Montevecchi who had trouble staying in sync with the orchestra even though she had been a ballet dancer and you would think she therefore had a good sense of rhythm. Maybe she just had trouble hearing them. | |
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